


Double Helix

by going rogue (onlyastoryteller)



Series: Nom de Plume [2]
Category: Call Me By Your Name (2017) RPF
Genre: Drunk confessions, Fiction, M/M, Not real life, Protective!Armie, Secret Identity, This might get confusing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2019-06-21 02:22:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15547491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlyastoryteller/pseuds/going%20rogue
Summary: Continuation of "Nom de Plume" in which Armie and Timmy both write and read each other's fanfiction and neither has any idea about the other's involvement. Secret identities, coincidences, as they both operate on two separate, but parallel, tracks connected by the pieces of their relationship.unguardedoliver20 is Timeliounleashed516 is Armie





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for the overwhelming requests for continuation of this story! I am more than happy to oblige.
> 
> A couple of notes:
> 
> 1) This is fiction, and not real life. This stuff didn't happen, I don't know these people, all in harmless fun.
> 
> 2) I drew significant inspiration for this entire piece from two places. First, from a Suits fic called 5U175 by Closer, in which Mike and Harvey secretly write for White Collar and Star Trek fandom. I also drew inspiration, especially in terms of some formatting, from the BRILLIANT ongoing story "Between the Lines" by ForYouInSilence and LivefromG25. If you're not reading it, please do. It's amazing. I mean no harm in being inspired by it...please only take this as flattery.
> 
> 3) This work will be a multi-chapter fic. I update sporadically, because my work life is CRAZY AS FUCK and keeps me very busy. I try to get to writing as often as I can, but sometimes it might be a little while. Have faith, I will return, and I appreciate your patience. Don't hesitate to poke at me in the comments...it does make me shift priorities sometimes, when I can.
> 
> 4) I know, the formatting is still a work in progress. Sorry!
> 
> Thank you for reading!

** Chapter 1 **

 

**From: Our Own Stories**

**To: eliounleashed516**

**Subject: Reply to your comment on Cut Doesn’t Cut It**

\------------------------

 **unguardedoliver20** replied to your comment on **_Cut Doesn’t Cut It_**

 

You wrote:

 

Hey there. I’ve been reading your work for a while, but have never commented. I don’t know why. You deserve to know you’re the best author this fandom has. This one hit me right in the feels, you know? I admire the way you seem to be able to strip Tim down and show us his beautiful soul (and his – ahem – beautiful body too, but let’s not be crass). He seems like a real person in your work, not like a cardboard cutout of who people think he should be. You know? I’m not making sense. Just know you’re very talented, and I hope you never stop writing.

 

 **unguardedoliver20** responded:

 

Thank you! Wow, I’m having trouble processing this. I know for a fact you’re wrong; I’m not the best author in the fandom. That would be impossible, because the best author in the fandom is you.

Seriously, I’m a huge fan, and totally floored that you’re reading my shit.

But thank you, what you said about Tim – the Tim in my stories, that is – means a lot.

 

Posted 2018-07-05 22:52:48

* * *

**_July 6_ **

8:17AM – T – _Happy opening weekend!_

8:18AM – T – _(for the movie, I know the play isn’t open yet)_

8:46AM – You – _Haha, thanks._

8:47AM – You – _It’s not nearly as exciting as ours was._

8:52AM – T – _Come on,_ Sorry _looks great. I can’t wait to see it._

8:53AM – You – _Fly home and I’ll take you. We’ll wear disguises and sit in the back._

8:54AM – T – _Hmm. Will you buy me Sour Patch Kids?_

8:56AM – You – _I’ll even sneak in pistachios if you want._

8:59AM – T – _And then we can hang out in the lobby and see how many people hand us peaches._

9:00AM – You – _I doubt anyone who saw Call Me will be rushing to see this movie._

9:02AM – T – _Armieeeeee_

9:03AM – You – _Why are you whining my name?_

9:04AM – T – _Because you keep underestimating your star power and I don’t liiiiike it. They’ll be lining up for days to see you onscreen again. I know I would._

9:05AM – You - _Call Me is over, T. People have moved on._

9:06AM – T – _If you could see me you would know I just snarfed my coffee. Now my nose is burning. Thanks for that._

9:07AM – You – _You’re not going to get a nosebleed, are you?_

9:08AM – You – _~~Need me to give you a foot rub?~~_

9:08AM – T – _Can’t. You’re not around to rub my feet and make it better._

9:09AM – You – _Now I snarfed my coffee, so we can be in misery together._

* * *

**From: Our Own Stories**

**To: unguardedoliver20**

**Subject: Reply to your comment on Cut Doesn’t Cut It**

\------------------------

 **eliounleashed516** replied to your comment on **_Cut Doesn’t Cut It_**

 

You wrote:

 

Thank you! Wow, I’m having trouble processing this. I know for a fact you’re wrong; I’m not the best author in the fandom. That would be impossible, because the best author in the fandom is you.

Seriously, I’m a huge fan, and totally floored that you’re reading my shit.

But thank you, what you said about Tim – the Tim in my stories, that is – means a lot.

 

 **eliounleashed516** responded:

 

Well, consider the respect mutual, then. Maybe we both have good taste.

 

Posted 2018-07-06 09:27:36

* * *

Armie set his phone on the dining table and smiled.

So unguardedoliver20 read his stuff as well. He liked that, to think that someone he thought did such an eerily accurate job portraying the people he knew also thought his work was satisfying.

He had reached the dregs at the bottom of his coffee cup, so he stood to rinse it in the sink. The day was sunny, and probably hot. It had been hot in New York for a while. It didn’t bother him much. LA could get hot, and the Caymans certainly did. He was mostly used to it.

His phone pinged, and he glanced at the message.

9:32AM – Wife – _On the plane. The kids say hi!_

9:32AM – Wife - * _photo*_

He grinned at the picture of Harper and Ford, buckled into their seats on either side of Elizabeth. Harper was tilting her head to the side and sticking her tongue out, and Ford was distractedly pulling at Elizabeth’s hair.

9:33AM – You – _Give them kisses for me! Have fun in Texas._

His phone pinged again, and he tapped on the instagram notification.

 **elizabethchambers** has mentioned you in her story

The story showed the photo he just saw, and then a duplicate with the text “traveling with kids” and “save me @armiehammer” overlaid.

Armie rolled his eyes. Elizabeth’s obsession with instagram was a constant joke between them. Of course, he couldn’t really criticize, since he had gotten into some hot water on Twitter himself a while back. But they couldn’t seem to quit social media.

After a moment’s hesitation, he copied her photo to his own story and added the text, “No way, @elizabethchambers I’m free at last!”

It was about twenty seconds before the text came in.

9:36AM – Wife – _Very funny, Hammer. <eye-roll emoji>_

He grinned. Social media had its benefits.

Before clicking out of the message app, Armie switched over to his conversation with Tim. He traced his fingers over the last few messages, smiling. Sometimes he thought the kid could read his mind, and when that happened, it made him feel steady. Solid. Sure-footed. In those moments, when he thought something and Tim said it, he felt the connection between them burn bright and sure.

Which made up for all the times he questioned his every word, thought, movement, worried that he would reveal too much, worried that Tim would get tired of him, worried that someone would criticize the way he doted on his younger former co-star.

But sometimes they were on the same wavelength.

Armie’s mind drifted back to the day they shot the nosebleed scene in Crema. That foot massage, and the little kiss he had impulsively planted on Tim’s slender foot. He didn’t know exactly where that had come from. It wasn’t in the script, it just…felt right in the moment. The look in Tim’s eyes when he did it took his breath away, and that’s how he knew without a shadow of a doubt that _that_ was the take Luca would use.

He had once told Luca that he thought that was the moment Oliver realized he was in love with Elio. Armie had had the epiphany about his feelings for Tim far sooner, but in that moment he had dared to hope that maybe, just maybe, Tim felt the same way.

After that take, Tim had excused himself and disappeared into the house. Armie waited five minutes before going after him. He found Tim sitting in Oliver’s bedroom, lying on the bed and staring at the ceiling.

“You okay?” asked Armie, leaning against the doorjamb.

Tim’s eyes flickered to Armie and then back to the ceiling. “Yeah, fine. I just needed a minute.”

“Want me to leave?”

Tim was silent a moment, then shook his head. “No. You can stay.”

Armie moved into the room and sat on the bed next to Tim. “Anything you want to talk about? Did I do anything that crossed a line?”

Tim let out a snort. “You’re fine,” he said. “I doubt there’s any line you could cross with me at this point…we’re sort of beyond that, don’t you think?” He glanced at Armie again.

“I’d hope so,” said Armie. “I just thought…when I kissed your foot, you looked at me like…I know we didn’t rehearse that, and I’m sorry if I surprised you.”

Tim pushed himself up and leaned back against the headboard. “No, that was great,” he said. “Seriously. That’s it. That’s the take. It was brilliant. Pure Oliver. And I ruined it by forgetting to stay in character. The look you saw was me being floored by how perfect it was.”

Armie smiled. “I saw _Elio_ immersed in a flood of emotions.”

“You saw _Tim_ immersed in a flood of emotions.” Tim held Armie’s gaze for a few seconds, then ducked his head. “I’m glad it looked like Elio, because…honestly, that was all me in that moment. I forgot to act.”

“Oh.” Armie swallowed. What he had seen was a boy who was utterly head over heels, charmed, and desperately afraid to hope that his feelings might be returned. If that was Tim, and not Elio…he shook off the thought. “Well. It looked amazing. I think you’re safe.”

He reached out and placed a hand on Tim’s knee, and without hesitation, Tim leaned into him, resting his head on Armie’s shoulder. Armie turned his head slightly to brush a kiss on Tim’s forehead.

“We better get back,” he said quietly.

“Can we take just another minute?” asked Tim.

Armie nodded, then shifted to wrap his arms around Tim, who willingly fell into his embrace with a sigh. They sat there another ten minutes, breathing in tandem, fingers slightly stroking each other’s backs. Occasionally, Armie would give in to temptation and let his lips ghost over Tim’s temple, and felt the answering brush on his neck. It was nothing they hadn’t done before…during rehearsals.

This was different, and it made Armie hope, just a little.

Nothing had come of it. How could it? Armie was married, and Tim had no interest an old guy who was saddled with a wife and kid. But he often went back to that moment in his fantasies, imagining what might have happened if, instead of going to dinner at Luca’s like they actually had that evening, they had gone back to his place, ordered a pizza, and let things unfold. If he had actually made a move.

Armie made his way into the office, feeling overwhelmed by his memories and needing to get them out of his head in some way. He sat down at the computer and pulled up a new file. Tapping his fingers on the desk, he sat in the silence and thought for a few minutes. Then he started typing.

* * *

**From: Our Own Stories**

**To: unguardedoliver20**

**Subject: eliounleashed516 posted a new story**

\------------

eliounleashed516 posted a new story.

 

 ** _Improvisation_** (2,798 words)

By eliounleashed516

 

**Summary:**

It wasn’t in the script, but Armie did it anyway.

 

 **Chapters:** 1/1

 **Fandom:** Call Me By Your Name (2017) RPF

 **Rating:** Explicit

 **Warnings:** No Archive Warnings Apply

 **Relationships:** Timothée Chalamet/Armie Hammer

 **Characters:** Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet

 **Additional Tags:** First Time

* * *

Tim finished reading the new story by eliounleashed516 and sighed.

He smiled, briefly thinking how weird it was that he and Armie had just been teasing each other about that scene. The universe in synchronicity, perhaps.

That afternoon that they had filmed the nosebleed scene had been a close call for him, possibly the closest call during the entire process. He had been close – _so fucking close_ – to revealing everything to Armie in that moment. When Armie had kissed his foot, out of the blue with no warning, it had stopped Tim in his tracks. He felt…like he had floated out of his body. All he could do was _stare_ at Armie with what he was sure was a look of utter adoration and awe.

Thankfully, it worked for Elio, and that was the take that made the cut. Tim was grateful for that, because that moment was pure magic.

And yet, _in_ the moment, he had wanted to kick himself. He knew he had let Elio slip away. He knew he had let the curtains drop, for just an instant, letting everyone see how he felt about Armie. Luca had told them to take a break while they set up the next scene, and Tim had darted away, ashamed that he had ruined one of the most beautiful Oliver moments Armie had created yet.

Of course, Armie came looking for him and reassured him, and they had shared something there, in Oliver’s bedroom. They had become comfortable touching each other and being in each other’s spaces…drew comfort from it, actually… during the process of filming. It wasn’t the first time Armie had opened his arms and Tim had fallen into them, letting himself be wrapped in his co-star’s strength.

It was the kissing that was new.

Tim had thought hard about it as they sat there. He had thought long and hard about whether he should say something, confess that he had feelings for Armie. He could pass it off as a joke, say it was a crush, see how Armie responded. Or he could tilt his head up and reach for Armie’s lips with his own.

He hadn’t done any of that.

Somehow, eliounleashed516 had tapped into that moment. It wasn’t exactly the same…in _Improvisation_ Tim ran off into the orchard and Armie followed. Tim ran off because of attraction, not because he was feeling self-conscious and regretful of his acting choices. But the physical interactions were exactly right. And in the fic, Tim had tipped his face up, Armie had responded, and they had proceeded to claim each other in the shadows of the peach trees.

Damn if that wasn’t one of Tim’s favorite fantasies. Sex with Armie in the Italian countryside, the scent of fruit thick in the air, the heavy silence of the sleepy afternoon covering them like a blanket.

After rereading the new story one more time, Tim decided to return the favor eliounleashed516 had granted him with, and clicked on the “Comment” button.

* * *

**From: Our Own Stories**

**To: eliounleashed516**

**Subject: Comment on Improvisation**

\-----------

unguardedoliver20 left the following comment on **_Improvisation_**

 

_See, I told you I read your stuff._

_Dude, this was phenomenal. Your attention to detail is amazing. Have you been to Crema? Because I felt like I was transported there. Bravo._

_Also, very hotttt._

* * *

Armie read the comment from unguardedoliver20 and grinned. The guy was quick. He had barely posted an hour ago. He found himself wondering about who he was…if he was even a guy. There was an equal chance unguardedoliver20 was a housewife from Ohio.

He examined the comment, then flipped over to the comment exchange on the other story.

No, it sounded like a guy, he decided. Masculine, at any rate.

At the very least, spelling “hot” with four t’s? Young. Definitely young.

Armie glanced at the clock and closed his browser window, heading for the shower. He had a show that night.

When his phone rang just after midnight the next night, Armie groaned. He considered ignoring it. As the first Saturday during previews, it had been his first experience with a two-show day, and he was exhausted. He hadn’t even bothered to get undressed or brush his teeth when he got home, falling into bed without ceremony.

Begrudgingly, he reached out and picked up the offending device, glancing at the screen.

**_Incoming FaceTime call from T_ **

Frowning, and now wide awake, Armie answered the phone. The screen revealed the corner of Tim’s forehead and a blanket, as though Tim’s phone was resting on the bed.

* * *

 

Armie: Tim? What’s up? < _Pause. > _Hey, Tim? You there?

Tim: < _incomprehensive moan_ ; _visual shifts to reveal a too-close shot of Tim’s nose and mouth_ >

Armie: T. Timmy. Talk to me, buddy.

Tim: Armie? Where are you?

Armie: Yeah, man. You called me. Are you okay?

Tim: No. I think I’m dying. _< visual shifts again, goes black_>

Armie: Tim. I need you to talk to me, babe. You’re not dying, I promise. But you have to talk to me.

Tim: I think I’m dying, Armz. Armiiiieeeee.

Armie: Shit, Tim. How much have you had to drink? It’s what…five a.m. there?

Tim: I needed to see you. I _need_ to see you. Where did you go?

Armie: Okay, can you pick up the phone and point it at your face? Cause right now I can’t see you, and you definitely can’t see me. _< visual shifts again, and now Tim’s face comes into full view; his eyes are bloodshot and red-rimmed, and he is paler than usual>_

Tim: There you are. < _big smile_ > Armie, I needed to see you, to tell you.

Armie: Tell me what, T?

Tim: I think I’m dying. I couldn’t die without telling you.

Armie: That’s fine, Tim, You’ve got me. Tell me whatever you want.

Tim: I couldn’t die without you knowing. I love you, man.

Armie: < _Pause, then a breathless laugh._ > I love you too, T-bird.

Tim: Good. Good. I can go now. < _he closes his eyes, and his breathing is ragged and uneven_ >

Armie: Wait, Tim?

Tim: Yeah?

Armie: How much have you had to drink?

Tim: Some. There were shots. And other things.

Armie: Other things? What did you take?

Tim: Thinnnnggggs.

Armie: Tim, _what did you take?_

Tim: Nothing.

Armie: Tim…you said you think you’re dying, and I gotta be honest. You’re not looking too good. I need you to tell me what you took.

Tim: I has had many drinks.

Armie: And?

Tim: And many smokes.

Armie: What did you smoke?

Tim: Whaddyou think?

Armie: Was it just weed, Tim? Are you sure.

Tim: Yesssss. Good shit, though. Sssstrooonnnng.

Armie: Have you puked yet?

Tim: < _makes a disgusted face_ > I hate puking.

Armie: I know, buddy. I remember. But you probably should. Can you do this for me? Can you get up and go to the bathroom and make yourself throw up?

Tim: < _groans, but starts to move_ > 

Armie: Tim, take the phone. Put it on the counter so I can still talk to you. < _there is motion; visual moves in jerky motion across darkened space, and then there is bright light – the bathroom – before the phone is set down on its face on the counter and the screen goes dark; sound of a toilet lid being lifted, and then retching_ > Good job, Tim. Just get it out. Do what you need to do. It’ll make you feel better. < _after a few minutes, the sounds subside, and the toilet flushes_ > Tim? Can you still hear me? 

Tim: Mmmm.

Armie: Okay. Rinse out your mouth, then get a glass of water and sip it. Take it slow. < _water running, splashing, running again; silence_ > Okay? Tim?

Tim: < _visual shifts as phone is picked up and flipped over revealing the ceiling; Tim’s face comes into view, looking down at the phone_ > Hey Armie, how are you?

Armie: < _smiling_ > I’m good, T. Can you take the phone and go lie down in bed again? < _view of bathroom plunging into darkness, then jerky movement until Tim comes into view, head on pillow, smiling into the phone, eyes drooping_ > How are you doing? Are you feeling better? 

Tim: I like having you here when I’m falling asleep. I liked that in Crema. Miss that.

Armie: Yeah, Tim. I liked that too. I miss it. I miss you.

Tim: < _heaves a sigh_ >

Armie: Go to sleep, T. Call me when you wake up.

* * *

Armie watched Tim for a while, even after it’s clear he’s fallen asleep. The glow of the phone lit up his features, the eerie shade of the light sharpening the planes of his face. When he was satisfied Tim’s breathing was even and regular, he ended the call.

With a shake of his head, Armie plugged his phone into the charger and set it on the nightstand. It took him a while to relax. At first, he had thought Tim was just wasted. It was amusing, that Tim had decided to call him like that. But then it became clear Tim was _wasted_ , and maybe too much so.

He smiled at Tim’s drunken confession. As screwed up as it might be, it warmed Armie’s heart that when he thought he was dying, Tim’s reaction was to call Armie. He didn’t think for one second Tim meant anything by his confession of love other than what they had said to each other a million times. They were brothers, best friends, and that was the extent of it.

Still, it was nice to hear.

* * *

13:21GMT – Hammer – _T, you up yet? Alive?_

15:42GMT – You – _fuuuuuuuck_

15: 47GMT – Hammer – _He lives._

15:48GMT – You – _barely. Fuck. Can’t talk now._

15:49GMT – Hammer – _Let me know when you’re done puking._

19:24GMT – You – _I’m done. Maybe._

21:05GMT – Hammer – _Damn. Four hours worshipping the porcelain gods? My condolences._

21:08GMT – You – _I actually just ate something. It might stay down if I don’t move much. Why does this feel so much worse than it ever has before?_

21:09GMT – Hammer – _You’re getting old, Tim. That’s what happens._

21:10GMT – You – _fuck you I’m not old. You’re old._

21:11GMT – You – _Last night…did I…did we talk? There’s a call on the log._

21:12GMT – Hammer – _How much do you remember?_

21:13GMT – You – _Clearly not much. Please say I didn’t embarrass myself._

21:15GMT – Hammer – _Impossible. There’s no judgment here._

21:16GMT – Hammer – _Though I may have talked you through a puke session last night too._

21:17GMT – You – _Ugh. Sorry._

21:18GMT – Hammer – _My pleasure. Well, not pleasure, but…I don’t mind._

21:19GMT – You – _What did you call about?_

21:20GMT – Hammer – _Nothing. You called me. To tell me you were dying._

21:21GMT – You - _< blushing emoji>_

21:22GMT – Hammer – _It was adorable. Just…next time you think you’re dying, maybe call a hospital? I was actually a little nervous for a while that you were in trouble._

21:23GMT – You – _Sorry_

21:24GMT – You – _Sorry to BOTHER YOU_

21:25GMT – Hammer – _You’re fucking hilarious. Do me a favor, send me your address? In case it happens again and I need to call an ambulance for you._

21:26GMT – You – _My hero._

21:27GMT – Hammer – _I’m thinking a blue cape,_ _to match my eyes._

21:28GMT – You - _< heart-eyes emoji>_

* * *

 **tchalamet** mentioned you in a post

*photo* <glass of water and bottle of aspirin> 

Hangovers suck. @armiehammer to the rescue, from 3500 miles away.

**armiehammer** mentioned you in a comment: always there for my damsel in distress

* * *

**From: Our Own Stories**

**To: eliounleashed516**

**Subject: unguardedoliver20 has posted a new story**

**\--------------**

unguardedoliver20 has posted a new story.

 

 ** _Heroes Don’t Always Wear Capes_** (978 words)

By unguardedoliver20

 

**Summary:**

Armie is basically Superman anyway.

 

 **Chapters:** 1/1

 **Fandom:** Call Me By Your Name (2017) RPF

 **Rating:** Teen and Up Audiences

 **Warnings:** No Archive Warnings Apply

 **Relationships:** Timothée Chalamet/Armie Hammer

 **Characters:** Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet

 **Additional Tags:** Established Relationship, Drunk!Timmy, Protective!Armie, Cuddles

* * *

**From: Our Own Stories**

**To: unguardedoliver20**

**Subject: Comment on Heroes Don’t Always Wear Capes**

\----------------

eliounleashed516 left the following comment on **_Heroes Don’t Always Wear Capes_**

_Cute. And I mean that in a completely genuine way._

_Armie doesn’t strike me as the nurturing type, but I buy it from the Armie in your story._

* * *

**From: Our Own Stories**

**To: eliounleashed516**

**Subject: Reply to your comment on Heroes Don’t Always Wear Capes**

\---------------

 **unguardedoliver20** replied to your comment on **_Heroes Don’t Always Wear Capes_**

 

You wrote:

Cute. And I mean that in a completely genuine way.

Armie doesn’t strike me as the nurturing type, but I buy it from the Armie in your story.

 

 **unguardedoliver20** responded:

Are you kidding me? Armie is abso-fucking-lutely nurturing. Have you seen him with his kids? Or with Tim? ;)

Posted 2018-07-08 9:33:12

* * *

 

Armie read through the short story again. This one was a little different than the rest of unguardedoliver20’s work. Most of the time, his stuff bounced off of real life scenarios and turned explicit. This was pure unadulterated fluff. Fictional Tim got drunk, and fictional Armie took care of him.

It was sweet.

And it was fucking close to the truth, to be honest. That scenario had happened more than a few times, and not just the past weekend. It never ceased to amaze Armie that he and Tim projected such an honest image to the public that fans picked up on the dynamic between them so closely. They had even used Tim’s instagram post as inspiration for a story.

If only they knew how close they _really_ were to how Armie felt.

Thank god only Armie knew.

At the end of the story, in the post-story notes, Armie noticed something interesting. unguardedoliver20 had written, “Hey guys I have Tumblr now. It’s lonely there, come find me: unguardedoliver20”

Armie clicked the link.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armie wears shorts with his suit jacket and tries to figure out Tumblr; Tim gets a surprise package and then makes a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once more for those in the back: not real life, fiction, no harm meant.
> 
> I am currently completely immersed in the storyline here, and that means that I'm not always certain how the chapter holds together as a unit. I *think* this one ties together thematically at the beginning and the end, but I've been looking at it too long and if I don't post it, I won't be able to for a few days (other projects, work-related, are screaming for my attention).
> 
> Also, a caveat: I don't really understand Tumblr. I use it but not well. So I don't actually have a lot of idea of how messages show up back and forth. Let's just pretend it happens like this.

** Chapter 2 **

**July 10**

7:32AM –T – _Nice shorts._

8:42AM – You – _Ah, you saw it._

9:12AM – T – _I saw you, you mean. LOTS of you. In all your long-legged glory. Those things are dangerous, Armie. You shouldn’t pull them out without warning a person._

9:13AM – You – _It’s fucking HOT here._

9:15AM – T – _NOW it is._

9:16AM – You – _~~You think my legs are hot?~~_

9:17AM – You – _~~Don’t start something you won’t finish~~_

9:18AM – You – _So_

9:18AM – You – _You thought I looked okay? The shorts weren’t totally stupid?_  

9:19AM – T – _You looked great. As always. Very cute. You sounded good, too._

9:20AM – You – _I babbled like an idiot and sounded like an arrogant prick._  

9:21AM – T – _Because of the story about how you once harassed telemarketers? No, it was funny. And you clarified that now you feel kind of bad about it. I think you came off fine._

9:25AM – You – _Thanks. <grinning emoji>_

9:26AM – T – _< kissing emojis>_

* * *

 

Armie rolled his eyes at Tim’s ridiculous flirting. The kid was a total tease, and he knew it.

He just didn’t know how much it tended to affect Armie when he made little comments like that. On the one hand, it gave him butterflies, and he felt almost giddy at the freedom to respond in kind. On the other hand…it gave him butterflies, and he was worried, in his giddiness, he’d take it a step too far. And on the third hand, it always left him with a pang low in his stomach that it would never go any farther than the good-natured teasing.

Yes, Armie definitely had a love/hate relationship with Tim’s flirty behavior, but he wouldn’t want to change it for anything in the world.

He sat down at the computer in the office, intending to do some research on another project his agent had passed his way. Instead, he found himself clicking onto OOS and sifting through the new fics posted. Nothing new by unguardedoliver20 today. Armie searched out his profile and idly clicked through his stories. He had found himself thinking more about the author, especially after he had investigated the new Tumblr the guy had broadcast.

Armie didn’t understand Tumblr. He could get on board with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat (though now, with Insta stories, it wasn’t really necessary). But Tumblr had always mystified him. He couldn’t figure out how to use it. What was he supposed to be looking for? If he started a “Tumblr” (was that what the actual thing was called? Was it maybe a “Tumble”? That would make more sense.) what was he supposed to put on it?

It was confusing, and he was too old for this.

Still, he navigated back to the site via the link in unguardedoliver20’s latest story.

There wasn’t much on it. A background photo of Armie himself in that god-awful dance scene from _Call Me_ , an icon photo of him from _Call Me_ , and a single gif: the moment when he had kissed Tim’s foot. He wondered if unguardedoliver20 would use it or forget about it.

He noticed the little “Follow” button in the upper right corner and clicked on it.

Damn, it looked like he had to sign up for an account himself in order to do that.

He considered for a minute, and then shrugged. _What the hell_ , he thought. He typed in his OOS username and the email he used for that account, and within minutes, he was logged in.

It wanted him to put in a background photo and an icon photo. He sighed, and then, using unguardedoliver20 as inspiration, he did some quick image searches and was satisfied with what he selected.

There. He had a Tumblr.

Dear god, he had a Tumblr.

He navigated back to unguardedoliver20 and clicked “Follow.”

There. Now…what? Would he get a notification when this guy posted something?

Armie shook his head. He should ask Timmy to explain Tumblr to him. Of course, then he’d have to explain _why_ , and he’d probably have to create _another_ account in order to hide… _never mind_.

He ran his cursor around the screen, hovering over a little speech bubble with a plus sign in it.

_Aha._

It looked like this would let him send a message to unguardedoliver20. Did he want to do that? Was that the purpose of this whole exercise?

Armie drummed his fingers on the desk.

Quickly, before he could change his mind, he began typing.

_Hey, it’s eliounleashed516 from OOS. I found you. Look at that, I can follow instructions. So, now that we’re here, I have a really important question for you: why is it called “Tumblr”? Where is the “e”? Did they lose it?_

He hit the little arrow to send it, then immediately regretted it. What kind of idiotic small-talk was that? He smacked himself in the forehead and felt like a bumbling teenager. What was he even doing?

He closed the browser window and pushed the whole thing out of his mind.

* * *

**July 12**

On Thursday, Tim remembered that he had set up the Tumblr for his OOS alias. He was a little nervous about the whole thing. He had had a Tumblr back in high school, but this was different. He had this one for the sole purpose of talking to people and sharing with people about his feelings for Armie, under the guise of being a fan who was merely “shipping.”

He was worried he was taking this whole anonymous outlet for his feelings thing a step too far.

When he pulled up the app on his phone, he saw that he had a bunch of new followers and a handful of messages. It made him smile. This was going to be delicate, walking the line between letting himself get too immersed in this fantasy and staying firmly grounded in reality, but he wanted to try it.

Most of the messages were a simple “hello” or “please follow back.” A couple asked him questions about his stories. He typed out quick responses to them – they were easy to answer. Then he noticed a message that caught his eye.

As soon as he opened up the message, he was supremely glad he had started the stupid thing. It was a message from eliounleashed516.

He smiled. He had thought so from the guy’s comments on OOS, but he was pretty sure eliounleashed was older than he was. Apparently the guy was a bit mystified by Tumblr. He thought about how to respond. He had to be careful about it, moreso than with his other responses, because this guy wasn’t asking a real question. He was just opening lines of communication.

Tim knew that, if he did strike up a conversation with another author like this, he had to make sure he didn’t reveal any personal information, any way for unguardedoliver20 to be traced back to him.

After thinking for a few minutes, he settled on a response:

_Hey, welcome. I’m glad you found me. And I suppose I should congratulate you on following instructions but…this was, like, a one-step process. Click the link, and here you are. Maybe you should aim higher._

_Kidding, kidding. You know, I have no fucking clue why it’s called Tumblr or where the “e” went. If you ever find out, be sure to let me know._

_Do you think Armie and Tim talk about things like this?_

He hesitated, then deleted the last line. He replaced it with:

_~~Do you think Armie and Tim talk about things like this?~~ _

_Did you catch Armie on Good Morning America on Monday? Those shorts!_

It was a test. eliounleashed516 was so talented at writing Armie, he would be a good person to moon over the man with. Maybe. If he decided to keep this up.

He hit the arrow to send the message, and then made sure to follow eliounleashed516 back. There was nothing on his Tumblr yet.

Before logging off, he added a photo to his own blog, smiling at the image.

* * *

  **From: Our Own Stories**

**To: eliounleashed516**

**Subject: unguardedoliver20 has posted a new story**

unguardedoliver20 has posted a new story.

 

**_He Wears Short Shorts_** (1346 words)

By unguardedoliver20

 

**Summary:**

An ode to miles and miles of legs.

 

**Chapters:** 1/1

**Fandom:** Call Me By Your Name (2017) RPF

**Rating:** Mature

**Warnings:** No Archive Warnings Apply

**Relationships:** Timothée Chalamet/Armie Hammer

**Characters:** Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet

**Additional Tags:** Established Relationship, LEGS

 

* * *

**July 14**

Armie’s Voicemail – 2:42PM

_“Hey, Armz, I just realized you’re probably onstage right fucking now, which is why you’re not picking up the phone, but I had to leave a message anyway because you’re fucking ridiculous. Like, I got home today after shooting, and there was this box waiting for me. From you. I was like, what the hell are you sending me, it’s not my birthday. Now I can’t stop laughing. I mean, when I saw the aspirin and water bottle I totally got it. The electrolyte powder is a nice touch, and you better believe I tried on the sleep mask right away. I’m still wearing it. I’ll send you a photo. The earplugs are also super useful, because my upstairs neighbors are LOUD. But…I lost it when I saw the bucket. You sent me a fucking puke bucket. You asshole. Call me back, love you._

* * *

19:47GMT – You – _See?_

19:47GMT – You – _< photo of Tim wearing the sleep mask on his forehead, pointing to it and rolling his eyes>_

19:47GMT – You – _< photo of Tim wearing the sleep mask over his eyes, grinning>_ 

23:01GMT – Hammer – _Looking good, T._

23:02GMT – Hammer – _I’m glad you liked the care package._

23:57GMT – You – _Is that what that was?_  

23:58GMT – Hammer – _It was a package, and it showed that I care._

23:59GMT – You – _I loved it. I’m still laughing._

00:01GMT – Hammer – _Are you still wearing the mask?_

00:02GMT – You – _Actually…_  

00:03GMT – Hammer – _Seriously?_

00:04GMT – You – _< laughing emoji_> 

00:04GMT – You – _No, I’m out at the moment. But I will wear it to sleep later._

00:05GMT – Hammer – _Out?_

00:06GMT – You – _It’s this thing people do where they leave their apartments and do things in the outside world. Interact with people. You should try it sometime._  

00:08GMT – Hammer – _Funny. Good thing I sent that package, then. You’ll be needing it._

00:09GMT – You – _Nah, I’m chill tonight._  

00:10GMT – Hammer – _With anyone I know?_

00:11GMT – You – _Rob’s here. Otherwise it’s just some of his friends and a couple of other people from the cast._  

00:12GMT – Hammer – _As long as you’re having fun._

00:13GMT – You – _~~It would be more fun with you here.~~_

00:14GMT – You – _Always._  

00:15GMT – Hammer – _Good. Listen, I have to run. Showtime soon._

00:16GMT – You – _Cool. Break a leg, as usual._  

00:17GMT – Hammer – _By the way, you say you’ll wear the mask to sleep, but_

00:18GMT – Hammer – _Pics or it didn’t happen_

00:19GMT – You – _~~You’re really into the mask, aren’t you?~~_

00:20GMT – You – _Stay tuned._  

02:31GMT – You – _< photo of Tim lying on his bed wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt, sleep mask on>_ 

04:36GMT – Hammer – _Sleep well, sleeping beauty._

* * *

**From: Our Own Stories**

**To: unguardedoliver20**

**Subject: eliounleashed516 has posted a new story**

\-------------

eliounleashed516 has posted a new story.

 

**_Tied Up In Knots_** (2,863 words)

By eliounleashed516

 

**Summary:**

Sometimes when you’re tied up on the inside, the best course of action is to be tied up on the outside.

 

**Chapters:** 1/1

**Fandom:** Call Me By Your Name (2017) RPF

**Rating:** Explicit

**Warnings:** No Archive Warnings Apply

**Relationships:** Timothée Chalamet/Armie Hammer

**Characters:** Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet

**Additional Tags:** Established Relationship, Light BDSM, Bondage

* * *

 

**_Tumblr: message from eliounleashed516:_ **

_Wow, you’ve got a mouth on you. Taking shots at me when I was just trying to say hi._

_(Also kidding)_

_I did catch the GMA appearance. You didn’t think Armie was trying too hard?_

* * *

 

**_Tumblr: message from unguardedoliver20:_ **

_I thought he was amazing. I mean, think about how hard it must be to go on shows like that. You’ve got, like, five-eight minutes to sound smart, and fun, and relatable, and show your sense of humor. You don’t know exactly how the questions are going to go, if the hosts actually know anything about you, what the audience will be like. I think he looked hot and was adorable, and if you argue with me this budding friendship will have to come to a close before it has a chance to begin._

_(Sorry, I am very defensive of Armie.)_

_Also – shit, your most recent story was…something else. Is that the kind of thing you’re into in real life, or is that just something you like to write about? (If that’s too personal, ignore it. I’ve always been told I get too personal too fast with people, but I always figured, if you don’t show someone your true self up front you’ll end up wasting time with the wrong people.)_

* * *

 

**_Tumblr: message from eliounleashed516:_ **

_Woah, okay. Note taken. I won’t even suggest a criticism of Armie in the future._

_But maybe you’re right. About the talk shows and the pressure. I watched it again, and I think I saw it through your eyes. He wasn’t half bad. And either way, I’m going to stand by him on the shorts. (I liked your most recent story as well. It amazes me that you were able to spend over a thousand words describing how Timmy was driving Armie crazy by touching and kissing only his legs, and it was the hottest thing I’ve read in a while. True talent, you have.)_

_About the bondage, that is a personal question, and it is fast. I know absolutely nothing about you. But since we’re both anonymous, what the hell?_

_Yes. I am into that “kind of thing” in real life. Does that scare you? Do you still want to be friends?_

* * *

 

**_Tumblr: message from unguardedoliver20:_ **

_Yes, I still want to be friends._

_I’m not scared, I’m intrigued._

* * *

 

**July 16**

2:38AM – T – _Aw, come on. You went out with Luca and you guys didn’t even FaceTime me? You suck._

8:17AM – You – _It was the middle of the night where you are._  

9:10AM – T – _I would have woken up for you._

9:12AM – You – _Not if you were wearing the earplugs and sleep mask. Were you wearing the mask?_

9:13AM – T – _Again with the mask. Armie, is this a kink or something?_

9:18AM – T – _Shit. Sorry, that was too far. I was making a joke but now that I read what I wrote it didn’t come off that way._

9:25AM – T – _Armie? Are you pissed?_

10:17AM – T – _Okay, I don’t think I deserve the silent treatment…_

11:01AM – You – _Jesus, Tim. Relax. I’m here. I’m not giving you the silent treatment. I went out for brunch with the family and accidentally left my phone at the apartment._

11:03AM – T – _Oh._

11:04AM – T – _Fuck, now I have to apologize for being clingy AND for being a dick._

11:05AM – You – _You don’t have to apologize for anything_  

11:06AM – T – _Can I call?_

11:07AM – You – _Of course._

* * *

 

**Incoming FaceTime Call from T**

Tim: _< Tim comes into view, behind him are people milling around; he’s on set_> Hey, hey. Crap. I’m an idiot. _< runs a shaky hand through his short hair, grabbing at non-existent curls>_ For seventeen reasons. Can we just agree I’m an idiot and you know that and so we forget about the last several hours of texts?

Armie: < _shaking his head >_ There’s nothing to forget. I was never mad, remember? You didn’t do anything wrong.

Tim: Still, I said that thing about the mask, and you were just being—

Armie: I was teasing you. Like we do. Right? We tease each other about stuff like that? Or do we not do that anymore?

Tim: We do! We totally do. That’s what I was trying to do, too, but it came off weird in the text.

Armie: I took it the way you meant it. Besides…I do have a kink about masks. You know that already.

Tim: Sure, but not about _that_ mask. Not about _me_. That was me being an idiot.

Armie: _< sighs>_ Tim, will you please just hear that I’m not upset with you? I thought you were being cute. I thought the whole bit we were doing with the mask was _us_ being… _us_. If I took it too far, you’d tell me, right? Like, if I said something that made you legitimately uncomfortable, you’d just call me on it so we could put it behind us and adjust?

Tim: Yes. I can’t imagine you doing anything that would – yes, I’d tell you.

Armie: Good. And so believe me when I say that I would also tell you. So can we just…forget about it and get back to being fine?

Tim: _< beaming>_ Yes.

Armie: Oh, and I am sorry about Luca.

Tim: Oh, it’s fine. You’re right, it was the middle of the night. I was asleep.

Armie: We could have at least sent you a text with a photo or something.

Tim: Yeah. I just…I saw your tweet about dinner with him and I felt… It made me feel totally alone, like… _alone_ alone. It’s stupid.

Armie: _< quietly_> It’s not stupid. It makes total sense. You felt left out.

Tim: I did. But even more than that, I think…I think it wasn’t just that I felt left out. Of course I was left out, I’m in fucking London. It’s not like you could have said, “hey Timmy, we’re having dinner, want to join?” I think it was that I realized that I was left out and it made sense, and it just made me realize how far away I am right now. When we talk and stuff, like this, it’s better, but I can’t…you know?

Armie: I do know. I miss you too, T.

Tim: _< far off smile_> I know you do. I wish I at least had some _plan_ about when I wouldn’t be so far away. Like, if I had a plane ticket or something. Something to look forward to.

Armie: Aren’t you having fun in London? Isn’t the movie going well?

Tim: It is. It is, it’s fine, and I am. Having fun. I guess I’m just homesick.

Armie: Could you take a few days off? Fly home? Tell them you need a break? You’ve been out there a while.

Tim: _< frowns>_ I hate to ask, you know? Like, who am I to ask for time off? But maybe…

Armie: Think about it. I’d love to – everyone would love to see you. I’m sure your parents would be thrilled to have you swing through town, and if Elizabeth and the kids are around, they’d want to monopolize you for sure.

Tim: I’ll see what I can do. Thanks, Armie.

Armie: No problem. _< smirks>_ And in the meantime, just wear your mask and think of me.

Tim: _< rolling his eyes_> See, this is the problem with not actually being in the room with you. You deserve a punch on the arm for that.

Armie: Yeah. You will, though. Wear it and think of me, and laugh. I know you.

Tim: _< sighs_> You do. _< looks over his shoulder> _Shit, I gotta go. We’re so behind schedule today. Talk to you soon?

Armie: Later. _< winks_>

* * *

**From: Virgin Atlantic**

**To: Timoth** **ée Chalamet**

**Subject: Itinerary for your flight**

\-------------

Congratulations! Here is the itinerary for your flight on Thursday, July 23rd from _London Heathrow International Airport_ to _La Guardia International Airport_.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The lines between fiction and reality can be hard to maintain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've entered a period of "work is nuts and my life is not my own for a while."
> 
> What that means is that updates will be sporadic. However, I'm still here, never fear...and don't hesitate to poke me for updates in the comments. Sometimes it convinces me to have a better work/life balance, so you'd honestly be doing me a huge favor.
> 
> Love to you all.

**Chapter 3**  

**July 16**

Some days, Armie thought that he maybe spent too much time thinking about his fantasy life with Tim and not enough time thinking about reality. Whenever that thought entered his head, he justified it by assuring himself that by creating elaborate fantasies in which he could express his true feelings for his former co-star and live happily ever after, he was able to maintain his reality better.

In other words, because Armie had fictional Tim at his fictional side, he didn’t need more with actual Tim, which (a) allowed him to not screw up the best friendship he had ever had; (b) gave him a break from the pangs of longing he felt that he didn’t have actual Tim the way he wanted him; and (c) let him maintain his life, which included marriage to Elizabeth – whom he did still love, and not any less than he had before – two beautiful children who got to have their dad married to their mom, and a career that could very well suffer if he suddenly came out or left his wife for another person.

Most of the time, this justification worked. He was happy, or at least content, with what he had, and what he lacked he made up for by creating it anonymously. He tried not to get too immersed in the virtual world. He had the OOS account, wrote his fiction, read fiction, and pretty much ignored everything else.

July 16th was not a bad day, and he managed to spend most of it in reality. He spent the majority of the morning with Elizabeth and the kids, going to brunch and then goofing around in Central Park. All three were flying out that afternoon on a business trip, and he would miss them. Again. He held hands with his wife while carrying his son and watching his daughter run in circles around them.

Elizabeth giggled at Harper’s antics and squeezed his hand. He smiled at her, and she sighed.

“Something wrong?” he asked.

“Not a thing. Except that I miss you already.” She leaned in for a kiss, and he lingered on her lips a moment.

“I know what you mean.”

“I could try to…there may be a way I could cancel some of my upcoming trips,” she said. She frowned, a little wrinkle appearing between her eyes as she tried to work it out. “At least until the show is over and we’re back home.”

“Don’t.”

She blinked at him, surprise and a touch of concern evident in her eyes. “Don’t?”

“No, don’t.” He shook his head firmly. “I wish we were together more. But your travel is as important to your business and your brand—“

“Our business.”

“—as my being away is for my career. I don’t want you to discount that. It’s hard, but we’ll be okay.” Armie glanced towards Harper, who was squatting over a patch of grass, poking at what he hoped was something harmless, like a stick or an insect. As he watched, she looked up at him and grinned. Something in his heart unclenched. “I want _them_ to see that we both work hard, and I want to support you the same way you support me.”

“Will we?” she asked. “Be okay?”

“You think we won’t?”

She gazed at him a moment, then relaxed. “I think we will.”

He nodded. “Me too. Look, while I’m doing eight shows a week, I’m useless most of the time anyway. Too exhausted to enjoy myself and be completely present. So…while SWM is running, we deal. Then, after, I was thinking that maybe I’d take a little time off. Pick a project that doesn’t start for a few months. We could make up for lost time, bank some ‘us’ time and family time before we have to do this again.”

He held his breath a moment. If she was going to balk at his time off suggestion, it would be now. But, to his relief, she didn’t seem to think it was an off-the-cuff terrible plan.

Instead, she considered it, nodding slowly. “Aren’t you worried that if you take a few months, things will dry up? You’re getting so many offers these days.”

He shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know what’s going to happen. Things could dry up tomorrow, or this could be a nice, solid stream of work until I’m ready to retire. We never know. But I do know that I don’t want to burn out.”

“Okay. It’s worth thinking about.” She kissed him again, and when she pulled back, he dropped her hand and threaded his fingers through her ponytail, tugging at the ends. She laughed.

Mornings like that made him think he was the luckiest person in the world.

Late afternoon would bring the filming of another talk show appearance to promote the play’s opening, this time on Colbert. He was nervous, and took a good long run to work out his anxiety before showering and heading for the theater. This time he wasn’t wearing shorts…that had brought such mixed reviews, no matter what Tim or unguardedoliver20 had to say about it.

He got a message from Tim while he was in the green room.

4:27PM – T – _You’ve got Colbert tonight, right? Have fun!_

4:28PM – You – _Thanks. I’m nervous. You know I think I flubbed the GMA, no matter what you think I looked like in shorts._

4:49PM – T – _Come on, you are SO great at appearances. If you’re nervous, just remember how you had to walk me back from panic attacks literally every time we went on together._

4:51PM – You – _Actually, that helps. I’ll just pretend I’m calming you down; I was always so focused on making sure you were okay that I forgot to be nervous myself._  

4:53PM – T – _There you go. You’re going to rock._

At that point, he had been called out to touch up hair and makeup before his entrance, so he just smiled and let Tim’s confidence in him be an anchor.

He felt relaxed when the interview started. Stephen asked about where he grew up and his thoughts on New York, so he was able to be himself and say he was really loving the experience of living there. He got good laughs out of his bit about liking the subway. They talked about how his inexperience working in theater meant he kept breaking all the theater superstitions, and he got more laughs.

Then, as expected, Stephen brought up _Call Me By Your Name_ , making the obvious link between the title of “Straight White Men” and the non-straight nature of playing Oliver. He took a deep breath and launched into the answer he had prepared. He acknowledged that fans of the movie were coming to see the play (Tim had been right about that), and even talked about the fact that he got asked to sign actual, real peaches sometimes.

He probably _shouldn’t_ have said what he did about the President – that wasn’t part of his prepared answer – but…since when could he trust his mouth to completely keep him out of trouble? Damn irregular filter. People laughed, though, and if there was anywhere to say it, it was to the Colbert audience.

He was nonetheless mentally kicking himself for getting political on national television – not that his politics were a secret, but still – when Stephen asked about his relationship with Timmy.

He seized on the topic. He had planned to just say _yes, we’re still great friends, all of us are,_ including Luca and Michael and Amira in the equation. But once he started talking about Tim, he couldn’t keep the grin off his face. He could _feel_ himself literally brighten as he babbled on and on about FaceTiming Tim in the middle of a street fair the other day. He found himself imitating Tim’s reaction, voice and body. 

He was talking a little too fast, feeling a little breathless, as though he had to keep going as quickly as possible because otherwise they’d stop him and he’d have to put Tim aside in favor of something less interesting. The only real way he could be public about his feelings for the kid was by talking about their friendship, showing the world _proof_ that Tim was vitally important to him and vice versa.

Honestly, if it had been up to him, he would have talked about Tim for the rest of the interview. It was probably good that he didn’t, so he was glad Stephen had transitioned into a question about the sequel and then brought out a photo he had Instagrammed recently.

In all, he left the stage feeling pleased about the performance. He texted Tim.

6:42PM – You – _Nailed it._  

6:52PM – T – _Knew you would._

* * *

**July 17**

Tim hung up his phone, annoyed. He threw it on the bed. Then, after pacing back and forth several times, he collapsed on the bed himself, letting out a huff of breath.

His manager was all up his ass about Armie’s appearance on Colbert. Joe was frustrated that Armie had talked so animatedly about Tim, mentioning a FaceTime call and making it clear that they were still in such constant contact.

“Tim, you’ve got to talk to him about this,” Joe had said firmly. “It was fine during the _Call Me_ tour for everyone to think you two were a real item, or at the very least were best friends for life. It helped the publicity for that movie, and the fans ate it up. Mentions are okay, saying you’re close is okay. But now that that’s over you have to focus on establishing yourself as separate from him. People talk about you two, and it could have a negative effect on your future casting.”

Tim had shaken his head in disbelief. “He can talk about whatever he wants. It’s not my place to tell him what to say or not say. If you’re so concerned, why don’t you talk to his manager? She’s the one responsible for the Colbert questions.”

“We both know that won’t do any good. It serves _his_ interest to continue to be linked to you. You’re the rising star. It just doesn’t serve yours in the same way. It would be better if you talked to him, and he talked to her.”

Tim practically growled. “Come on, Joe. Armie’s career is fine on its own. You really think that’s why I’m showing up in the questions? Because he’s trying to _use_ me or something? That’s fucking nuts. It’s not like that with us, and you know it." 

Joe sighed. “And you’re okay with everyone thinking you’re still attached at the hip?" 

“Well…since we kind of _are_ , then yeah. I’m okay with it.” Tim ran a hand through his hair, frustrated that it wasn’t longer and he couldn’t tug on it as effectively. He was _more than fine_ that the world thought of him and Armie as a unit. He had dark fantasies that they were more of a unit than they were, so he would take what he could damn well get. “I swear, it doesn’t bother me. I wish you’d just drop it.”

But Joe had pressed, and finally Tim had agreed to say something. But what, exactly? He _liked_ it that Armie talked about him. He liked that Armie looked so _happy_ when Colbert asked if they still were in touch. He liked that Armie talked about a specific FaceTime call, and did an imitation of him that was frighteningly accurate.

They didn’t have anything to hide, so he wasn’t interested in hiding what they did have just because people talked. But…he was young. Inexperienced. His career was just starting, maybe he was being naïve about the whole thing. He decided to talk to Armie so that he could get his perspective.

Armie picked right up when he called, his smiling face filling the screen.

“Timmy!” he said, grinning. “Did you watch it yet?”

Tim was helpless to stop the answering grin. “I watched it. You were fantastic. Your best one yet. Except for the ones we did together, of course.”

“Of course.” Armie sighed happily. “I felt real good about it.”

Damn. Armie had been so anxious before the appearance, and he was clearly so relieved it had gone well. Tim hated to plant seeds of doubt. Maybe he should wait and talk about this another time.

“Did you like how I talked about you?” asked Armie. “I thought I did a damn good Timmy T impression of our phone call.”

“You did, it was exactly me. In fact, it was so like me that I was confused, since I was sitting there watching it, but suddenly I was on screen…”

“Yeah, okay, you asshole.” There was a pause, and then Armie frowned. “What’s on your mind?”

Tim let out a laugh. The fact that he could let his emotions play out all over his face while acting was a blessing. His seeming inability to reign them in otherwise was a curse.

“It’s not a big deal,” he said, “so don’t get all angsty on me about this.”

“But?" 

“My manager is concerned that we still talk about each other so much." 

There was a long beat. Armie’s frown deepened. He looked confused.

“What the hell does that mean?” he asked, irritation in his tone.

“Don’t go crazy, okay? I didn’t even want to bring it up because I think it’s stupid.”

Armie closed his eyes, took a breath. “Okay, I’m sorry. I’m listening. What is he worried about?”

Tim considered how to phrase it, and then just said it all at once, as fast as possible. “He’s worried that if we keep linking ourselves together it will impact my career. That it was a benefit during the _Call Me_ tour, but now we’re fueling fan speculation and that’s potentially damaging.”

Armie was quiet for a moment. Finally, he said, “What do _you_ think?”

“Honestly? I don’t care.” Tim shrugged. “I think people can think whatever they want and it doesn’t have to affect our reality. And I’m proud of our friendship. I _want_ people to know we FaceTime and talk. I want to tell everyone who will listen that my sorry ass was lucky enough to snag Armie _fucking_ Hammer as a best friend.” Armie smiled and looked a touch surprised at the vehemence in Tim’s voice, and Tim smiled back, ducking his head a little, suddenly bashful. “But…I’m also new at this, so I guess the only reason I’m bothering to bring it up is to ask you what you think. Am I stupid for not caring what people think, or for thinking that it’s not going to have a negative impact on my career?”

“Shit.” Armie rubbed a hand across his forehead. “I can’t say I never considered things like this, because I have. I mean…people talk, T. You know that. They talked throughout the _Call_ _Me_ tour, speculated wildly about just how blurred the lines were between our characters and ourselves. We ignored it then, and just acted like _us_. So I just figured we’d keep acting like us, and not worry about it.”

“Is that still what you think?”

Armie nodded. “Mostly. Mostly, I think that right now, being us is happening very privately. We’re not out on the circuit together, you’re on the other side of the Atlantic, we’re quieter on social media. So if people are still talking, they’re talking based on the small dregs we give them. Like my comments on Colbert, or your Instagram from last weekend. It’ll die down.”

Tim let out a breath. “I think so, too. And I don’t want to change what we’re doing just because of the perception of a small percentage of the population, who are in favor of us anyway.”

“We can revisit this if necessary, and if you want me to be more careful about talking about you I can—“

“No! No, I don’t want that,” said Tim. “Just be you. I’ll be me, and we’ll be us. And we can let everyone else be them.”

Armie smiled. “Good. Because I like the way we are.”

“Me too. Besides, as long as _we_ know where we stand, it doesn’t really matter what it looks like to everyone else.”

“Exactly.”

They had moved on in the conversation then, and left the subject behind. Tim worried a little that his planned trip to New York for the opening – which he was keeping as a surprise from Armie – would anger Joe. But he wasn’t about to let it prevent him from making the trip. He wanted to see Armie too badly, and needed to be there for his opening night.

* * *

**July 23**

Armie had hardly stopped running for the past week. Between the final run-up to opening night, Elizabeth popping back into town and wanting quality time before popping out again, and continuing to plug _Sorry to Bother You_ (which was getting great reviews, thank god), he barely had time to breathe.

It was good he was so busy. It meant he hadn’t had a lot of time to read or write fic, but maybe that was for the best. His head was in reality at the moment, and plenty distracted by the demands of Broadway theater, a sporadically available family, and trying to keep in shape, which was becoming harder as he got older.

His one continued connection to the fantasy world during this busy period was, oddly enough, the correspondence he had struck up with unguardedoliver20. They didn’t message each other every day, but had had several conversations since the first.

The guy – and it was a guy, he had confirmed it – was fun to talk to. He had a good sense of humor, an interesting outlook on life, and a healthy dose of skepticism about the online world in general. Their conversations were getting more meaningful. Unguardedoliver20 hadn’t been kidding when he said he tended to get personal fast, and for whatever reason, Armie had fallen right into the seductive nature of feeling like he could finally really talk to someone. The anonymous nature of it all helped, since no one would judge _him_ if it got out, just this alias that was unconnected to him.

On Saturday, his mind still on his earlier conversation with Tim about public perception of them, Armie had asked unguardedoliver20 if he believed that the real Armie and Tim had a relationship.

 

**Tumblr: message from eliounleashed 516:**

_I was wondering about something. You write so convincingly about these people; is it because you believe that they are actually in a relationship? In other words, you ship them, but do you think they’re hiding their truth from the world?_

 

It had taken unguardedoliver20 two days to respond.

 

**Tumblr: message from unguardedoliver20:**

_Interesting question, what prompted that?_

_I think…I guess I think that it doesn’t really matter. I don’t know what their reality is – obviously – so whether what I write bears any sort of passing resemblance to reality is not something I’m qualified to comment on. But the bottom line is that…who cares?_

_If they’re best friends who are comfortable with each other enough to be physically affectionate, more power to them for ignoring socially inoculated ideas about the propriety of male/male platonic physical interaction. And, moreover, bravo for them not shying off of their friendship or their clear affection for each other just because people speculate about them._

_If they were playing to the crowd during the promo tour and knew that fans would eat it up if they looked like they were really in love, they’re shrewd businessmen and great actors._

_If they had a relationship during filming but went back to real life afterwards and everyone is happy, great._

_If they’re currently involved, that’s their business._

_I’m writing fiction about two characters inspired by real people. It’s a fantasy, like any work of fiction, in which we can see reflections of reality and take what we want from it to enhance or better our personal and societal lives._

_I mean, isn’t that what Call My By Your Name is? A fantasy that reflects reality in a way that evokes emotions that the audience can then apply to their own lives?_

_Or maybe that’s too English Teacher of me. You?_

 

Armie thought hard about it for a few minutes, and then he shot out a quick response.

 

**Tumblr: message from eliounleashed516**

_It’s not too English Teacher of you. As usual, I’m fascinated by the way you think about things. And say them. (In an attempt not to mirror fiction too much, I won’t quote Oliver’s line exactly here…._

_I agree. It doesn’t matter. Let them be whatever they want. We can play with the fantasy version, and everyone should be happy with that._

* * *

**From: Our Own Stories**

**To: eliounleashed516**

**Subject: unguardedoliver20 has posted a new story**

\----------------

unguardedoliver20 has posted a new story.

 

**_UnReality Bites_** (856 words)

By unguardedoliver20

 

**Summary:**

Armie and Tim decide to take a rumor and make it real.

 

**Chapters:** 1/1

**Fandom:** Call Me By Your Name (2017) RPF

**Rating:** Mature

**Warnings:** No Archive Warnings Apply

**Relationships:** Timothée Chalamet/Armie Hammer

**Characters:** Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet

**Additional Tags:** First Kiss, This is Mostly Fluff, With a Little Action


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reality blurs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick update -- sorry it's been a while! Real life, etc. etc. etc.
> 
> This was meant to be a longer chapter, but rather than making you wait...I cut it in two.

**Chapter 4**  

**July 24**

Armie received several solid pats on the back on the way to his dressing room. The opening night performance had gone off well. He had flubbed a line or two but he didn’t think anyone had noticed. He was also beginning to regret making the character choice to be eating all the damned time while onstage. Otherwise, he was relieved and pleased.

He had plans to go out with Josh and the others after the show. He just had to change out of his costume and peel his makeup off, and then it was time to celebrate.

He sank onto his sofa and leaned back, closing his eyes a moment, waiting for the buzz inside to die down slightly. It was electric, a high, to be in front of a live audience, knowing he would _know_ how they felt about what he was doing, and what he was creating, in front of their eyes.

And it was so much fucking harder than film.

After a few minutes, he opened his eyes and reached for his phone. There were a handful of messages – Elizabeth, Nick, Ash, his agent – wishing him a good opening night, and he smiled, shooting back quick replies. He had wished Elizabeth had been able to be _there_ for it, but they had agreed she had plenty of time to see the show over and over during its run.

He checked his email, and saw the new story from unguardedoliver20. The message had come in late the night before, but he had decided to save it for a moment he could enjoy it, when he wasn’t a bundle of anxious nerves. It was short – he could read it now, then get ready to go out.

* * *

 

_When the movie ended, Armie stood up. He stretched his arms over his head, twisting from side to side and groaning slightly._

_“What’s the matter, getting old?” asked Tim. He was sprawled across Armie’s sofa, one leg slung over the arm. His head had been in Armie’s lap, until Armie had scooted out from under him. He pulled out his phone to check his messages and notifications, and started scrolling._

_“Don’t make fun. It’ll happen to you, too. Want another beer?”_

_Tim scanned through the various messages, until one caught his eyes. He clicked through to read it more closely, and then clicked on the embedded link, which brought him to one of_ those _discussion forums._

_“Hey, T. What are you looking at?”_

_He glanced up, and then shut the phone off. “Nothing,” he said._

_“Nothing? Come on, tell me,” said Armie. He reached for the phone, but Tim jumped up and slithered out of reach. “Seriously, what’s got you being so weird?”_

_Tim bounced up and down on his toes. What was the harm, really, in telling Armie? He’d probably laugh at it. Tim shrugged. “It’s not…I was just looking at some stuff that people are talking about.”_

_“Like what?”_

_Tim sighed. “Us. Stuff about us. They – you do know what they say about us, don’t you?”_

_Armie looked nervous all of a sudden. “I don’t suppose you mean stuff like…how talented and gorgeous we are.”_

_Tim swallowed. He wasn’t sure if talking about this would reveal to Armie how he really felt. He’d never been good at keeping his true emotions off of his face. If they talked about this, would Armie be able to tell that Tim read the gossip forums about them because he wished the rumors were true?_

_“No, that’s not the stuff,” said Tim._

_“Oh.” Armie raked a hand through his hair, making it stand up. “The other stuff.”_

_“Yeah. What do you…what do you think about that? About what they say about us?” asked Tim._

_Armie sank back onto the sofa, a thoughtful look on his face. “People are going to say what they want,” he said. “I don’t…it doesn’t have to affect us. Does it bother you?” He looked up at Tim, his face full of concern. “I know that this might be the first time you’ve experienced people talking about you to this extent. It can take a little getting used to.”_

_“It doesn’t really…it doesn’t bother me,” said Tim. He took a tentative step forward. “I mean, none of it is true, so whatever. Right?”_

_“Right,” said Armie. “I mean,_ some _of it is true.” He grinned up at Tim. “I do think you’re a great kisser.”_

_Tim grinned back, and took another step forward. “Same goes.”_

_“You think you’re a great kisser?” Armie teased._

_“I think you have great lips,” said Tim._

_What was he saying? Something had shifted in the air with his comment. Armie’s gaze got sharp, intense._

_“Yeah?” he said. “My lips?”_

_“Yeah,” said Tim. “They’re softer than I thought they’d be. And warm.”_

_Armie’s hand came up, his fingers resting on his bottom lip. “And you’re more forceful than you look like you’d be,” he said, his voice a low rumble. “Demanding.”_

_Tim took the last step forward, until he was standing beside the couch, looking down at Armie. “Of course, they’re wrong about one crucial thing. We’ve never kissed outside of filming.”_

_“Hmmm.” Armie looked down for a long moment. When he looked back up again, his eyes were darker, his pupils pools of black inside thin blue rings. “Right, we haven't. We could change that.”_

_“We could?”_

_Armie reached up a hand and snagged Tim’s sleeve. With one yank, he pulled Tim down into his lap. “We could.” His palm cupped Tim’s face, and Tim couldn’t help but lean into it. He wasn’t sure what was happening, but he tried to remember to breathe._

_“Yeah,” he said, trying to maintain sanity. “I mean, these poor people. They deserve to get something right, don’t they?”_

_Armie took that for what it was – permission – and descended._

_Kissing Armie again, after so long, was like…being upright for the first time in ages. Tim felt blood rushing away from his head, leaving him feeling light-headed and dizzy. He clung to Armie like he was a life raft._

_Their lips moved together, softly at first, then with more force, until Tim felt pressure at the seam of his lips. He gasped, which allowed Armie inside, their tongues sliding together and twin moans echoing in their chests._

_After an eternity, they broke apart, sucking in air like two men on the verge of drowning._

_Tim stared up at Armie, who was staring back. Then he started to laugh. Armie looked surprised, but then a grin broke out on his face, and he joined in. They collapsed into each other, clutching at arms and shoulders until they had to stop laughing or else pass out from lack of oxygen._

_Tim tried to break the new silence. “That was…”_

_“As amazing as I remember,” said Armie. “Let’s do it again.”_

_Tim smiled. “What are you waiting for?_  

* * *

 

When he was done, he laughed. He pulled up the Tumblr app on his phone. He had downloaded the app and turned on notifications at unguardedoliver20’s suggestion – _it’ll make it easier for us to chat if you know I’m messaging you rather than having to check constantly or wait until you’re at your computer_ – and typed a one-word message to unguardedoliver20.

* * *

 

**Tumblr: message from eliounleashed516:**

_Cute._

* * *

 

Armie pushed himself up from his sofa and settled at his vanity, pulling makeup remover sheets from their bin to work on his face. His phone pinged with a notification. He paused to read and reply.

* * *

 

**Tumblr: message from unguardedoliver20:**

_I should give you credit, you gave me the idea._

* * *

 

**Tumblr: message from eliounleashed516:**

_Maybe you shouldn’t. If people know we’re talking offline, they’ll…speculate._

* * *

 

**Tumblr: message from unguardedoliver20:**

_Let ‘em._

_And the cycle of fiction to reality to fiction to reality is complete…are you confused yet?_

* * *

 

**Tumblr: message from eliounleashed516:**

_I live my life in a state of confusion. Just you wait, you’ve only seen a speck of what’s behind the curtain._

* * *

 

**Tumblr: message from unguardedoliver20:**

_Can’t wait for the rest._

_You haven’t written anything lately. Why?_

* * *

 

**Tumblr: message from eliounleashed516:**

_Busy. I’ll try to write soon. Happy now?_

* * *

 

**Tumblr: message from unguardedoliver20:**

_Very. Go ahead and take another couple of days, if you need it. I’ll be busy through Thursday._

_So, you know, if you don’t hear from me immediately, don’t panic. I’m interacting with real people for a change._

* * *

 

Armie was about to respond when there was a knock on his dressing room door. He glanced in the mirror. The makeup was off, and he looked mostly normal. He stood and crossed to the door. It was probably Josh, wondering why he wasn’t ready to go yet.

He pulled open the door, bracing himself for a round of sarcastic banter, and then froze.

There, standing two feet away from him, was the person who occupied his thoughts seventy percent of the time. He was grinning, his mouth wide, his green eyes sparkling.

“Tim.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'll notice that I'm going to play fast and loose with "reality" here. You'll see some things pop up that you'll recognize, but don't examine it too closely :)

**Author's Note:**

> None of the fics mentioned in here exist. If time allows, at some point I might write them and link them, but for now just use your imagination.


End file.
